Some of you may not agree, but I feel as though “There’s A Pot A Brewin” presents The Little Ones as a much more evolved, mature, and musically endowed band. It’s something that I had really hoped for since verging on a burn out of their EP. They really have a knack for getting you to move in your seat no matter how you are feeling. The cha-cha time and purely rhythmic break down is really refreshing. The band seems to have broken a tried and true formula and found a new type of “happy” upon which we can all celebrate-- Corona’s and all. The catchy-ness of this song, which can be found on their “Lovers Who Uncover” single, will not be sloughed off as the saccharine sweetness some of their older songs have a tendency to do. The Little Ones combine both current and classic pop elements in “There’s A Pot A Brewin.” The shuffle rhythms (as Devon has described them) are brought way up front and made the center of the song, leaving the kitschy guitar solos behind. Add some Jackson 5 bass lines and chimes and you’ve got yourself one hell of a party.
I have a soft spot for the type of sweet, crackling white noise that runs rampant throughout Port-Royal’s Afraid To Dance. There’s something comforting in the sound of noise being coaxed into something melodic. After meandering through misty textures and aimless washes of sound, they hit hard on “Deca-Dance” with a squeaky four-on-the-floor beat. The usual culprits (guitars in heavy reverb, airy synths, ocean-like washes) flood the mix. As if to remain true to the album title, they eventually abandon the danceable drum track and opt for scattered, off-beat bass drums. The whole scene eventually melts away, leaving whatever sounds are left to wallow in an icy cave. Afraid To Dance sounds like a band inside a machine. Its instruments break the surface every now and then, but remain plagued by the cold noise of one’s and zeros. It’s dark and beautiful—possibly a terribly accurate window into the future.
Who knew that A.C. Newman, chief of The New Pornographers, had a niece talented enough to cover Neko Case’s parts on tour? Who knew that said niece, Kathryn Calder, belonged to an excellent band called Immaculate Machine? Everyone except me, that’s who. Surprisingly, or not so surprisingly, Calder shares many similarities with Case, and the band even evokes the pop-spirited sound of The New Pornos. “Dear Confessor” makes wonderful use of catchy harmonies and rolling drums while the band dismiss the usefulness of maps. “Jarhand,” the album opener, is another energetic pop song showcasing the bands impressive use of space (they’re only a trio). The new album Fables (due 6/12) ranges from the power-pop of these tracks to heartfelt mid-tempo ballads. It’s definitely a worthy investment, and with contributions from Owen Pallett (Final Fantasy) and Alex Kapranos (Franz Ferdinand) we’re obviously not the only ones that think so.
Laptop pop is a tricky thing. Anyone with a Mac and GarageBand can make a track these days. Luckily, there are still artist that can make art from readily available technology. Dieter Sermeus, a.k.a. The Go Find, make hushed electronic pop. He just recently released Stars On The Wall on Morr Music. “Adrenaline” is the sound of patience in musical form. It starts off with a cheesy drum beat and some drowsy keyboards. Its sleepy tempo momentarily doubles its speed, adding layers of wavering synths and subtle noises. As the song progresses, it becomes buried deeper and deeper in a bed of noise, with each sound essentially washing each other out. It may sound plain or boring on any given day. But at the right moment, when everything seems to be moving too fast around you, “Adrenaline” contradicts its namesake and delivers the dose of downtempo goodness you’ve been needing.
"Don't Make Me A Target"/"The Ghost Of You Lingers"
How do you introduce new Spoon material? Does it really matter if Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga isn’t any different from any other Spoon release? Of course not. People want their Spoon, and they want it however they can get it. “Don’t Make Me A Target” is the opener for the aforementioned album, and it’s pretty much exactly what you’d expect from the boys; descending muted chord progressions, one-handed piano lines and spiky guitar parts. However, “The Ghost Of You Lingers,” which made its way to the net before the full album had leaked, had everyone fooled. To be honest, regardless of whether I liked the track or not, I was willing to take the journey. I was genuinely interested in the bands new direction. Would the whole album be a Steve Reich inspired piece of minimalism like this song? Would Britt have recorded everything in a bare-bones fashion? Would he really shun the trademark Spoon sound for something a little more avant-garde? Well, apparently not. “The Ghost Of You Lingers” isn’t pushing any musical boundaries, but it definitely drew a line in the sand. Would the hardcore Spoon fans be willing to go along for the ride? Would any skeptics be converted to believers? Who knows. As far as the album goes, it could hold its own separate from the knowledge of any prior albums. But you can’t help but feel like they’ve got something more in them.
After becoming kings in the remix game, Simian Mobile Disco decide to step it up with a full length release of original material (not counting their work as Simian). Now, if your thought process is anything like mine, you’re probably rolling your eyes right now. But wait, what if I told you Attack Decay Sustain Release (due in the U.K. 6/18) was the hottest album of its kind so far, right behind Justice’s full length? It’s ridiculously addictive, and on par or better than their best remix work. You could pretty much play pin the tail on the donkey with the tracklist and have a 90% chance of scoring a winner. Check out the slow-burning Vitalic techno of opener “Sleep Deprivation,” or the hyperactive acid house of “Tits & Acid.” Better yet, get a whiff of the lead single, the techno-funk anthem “It’s The Beat” featuring The Go! Team’s in-house rapper, Ninja. It doesn’t take a mathematician to solve this equation: Hot tracks + Simple lyrics=Non-stop party. So if you ever get tired of hearing about the apocalypse, SMD’s got you covered. They’ve pretty much establish their priorities upfront: it’s the beat.
Okkervil River are incredibly dramatic, but in a good way. It’s a sort of bookish melodrama, the kind that pans out slowly through novels, page by page. With the combination of Will Sheff singing at the top of his range and the wordless bridge, “Our Life Is Not A Movie Or Maybe” sounds like the band channeling Arcade Fire’s...…(ahem) fire, but is by no means a copy cat. Sheff sings with wild intensity over persistent, muted acoustic strums and deep pounding drums. The band accents the story, adding spooky piano effects upon the mention of a haunting. It’s hard not to mention the lyrics with lines like: “From the speakers your fake masterpiece comes serenely dribbling.” They read like modern poetry, filled with vivid imagery and detail at every turn. So yeah, this song is pretty awesome. And if it’s any indication of what the bands forthcoming album The Stage Names is going to be like, we can expect great things.
Oh Common, must you be plagued to live the rest of your career trying to break out of hip-hop limbo? For years now you’ve been straddling the line between underground and commercial success. What’s wrong with the underground anyway? Isn’t that where the people live? Common declares “We do it for the people,” but complains about the Grammy’s doing him wrong in the same breath. Of course, this is all easily forgiven since Common always delivers on the lyrics. On this track, Kanye (apparently the new DJ Premier?) abandons the mainstream production and opts for the underground friendly technique. This could be the sign of Common returning to his “roots,” or just a throwback track for nostalgia’s sake. Whichever way the road takes him, whether commercial success or underground hero, he deserves it. “I’m keeping my eyes on the people, that’s the prize.” I hope he’s telling the truth.
Here are some of our favorite previous posts. Most of these are songs from albums that aren't out yet or don't exist. The rest of them are just too kick ass not to repost.
"The Bomb"- New Young Pony Club(original post) If dance rock is dead, someone forgot to tell NYPC.
"D.A.N.C.E."/"Phantom"- Justice(original post) Allow me to rant a little....Justice's full length album simply titled "†"(due 7/10) is pretty much the best thing since sliced bread. I haven't listened to an album this obsessively since Neon Bible. That good.
Every one of Voxtrot’s songs have been a self contained gem; a stand alone performance that’ll either break your heart or make you dance. The band’s discography contains only three EP’s, which is enough to be enamored by the hearts of the musically aware and gather a dedicated fan base. However, EP’s tend to be like cookies. They can be amazing, sweet, and no matter how full you are you want more. Though just as you could never sustain yourself fully on cookies, a band would be hard to survive solely on EP’s. You need a meal. And like a good meal, an album should be savory and sweet, hardy, something that you can dig your teeth into. This is the best way that I can describe and justify the difference between Voxtrot’s previous releases and their full length debut Voxtrot. It’s food that is different, sometimes startling, though it is clearly made by the same chef, and is just as tasty.
The band is smart enough to ease you into this difference. The first track titled “Introduction” is simultaneously an introduction to their album and an introduction towards a new and slightly more grown up Voxtrot. The song’s swelling strings and guitar “intro” are very much like the Voxtrot that we fell in love with. It’s a beautiful song that captures the essence and charm of the band. Ramesh Srivastava’s lovingly fey and sweet voice carries an energy and punch that highlights his signature “remember when” lyrics.
While the sound of the album is overall more “rock and roll” than previous works, the heartbreak of cello’s can still be heard lifting up Ramesh’s melody. Such is the case in the gem “Ghost”. Pounding waves of piano and drums accompanied by swelling strings and sweet noises hold Ramesh’s increasingly clever wordplay afloat. His lyrics tend to be like short stories and he ventures to use some interesting and sometimes intentionally awkward rhymes and word rhythms a la Stuart Murdoch, matching sounds and consonants rather than perfectly fitting couplets.
Voxtrot also juxtaposes a distinct tone of aggression with the sweetness of earlier songs; both lyrically and in the music. “Stephen” is an easy, fairly straight ahead love song (either fraternal or romantic…you be the judge) that is deceivingly the most traditional Voxtrot song on the album, crooning right from the start, “Stephen I love you, I can’t grow past you.” In contrast, the band rocks out on “Brother in Conflict” while Ramesh shouts, “I wanna drown you in a pool of blood.”
Sometimes in order for you to unlock the true beauty of an album, it takes the same heart and openness that the songwriter invested while creating it. When you allow Voxtrot to settle in to your aural muscle memory, the difference between the bands EP’s and LP will start to fade. You’ll realize that while there might be something to be missed, we as an audience gain so much from an album that is certainly it’s own animal. An animal that doesn’t harp on the past, but evolves from such a sweet canon. I truly feel that if given the chance, Voxtrot will launch it’s namesake into an echelon reserved for the few bands that will shape this decade’s soundtrack.
